Ash removing and poking apparatus for gas-producers.



l. B. NAU.

ASH REMOVING ANDKPOKING APPARATUS FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION man FEB. 22. I912 RENEWED APR. 22. 1915.

1,161,401. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANoanAPH C0. WASHINGTON. D. c,

pm rnn strains Penna oi ricri.

JOHN B. NAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ASH REMOVING AND POKING APPARATUS FOR GAS-PRODUCERS.

LItiIAU-I.

Application filed February 28, 1912, Serial No. 680,409.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J OHN, B. NAU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ash Removing and Poking Apparatus for Gas- Producers, of which the following is a specification.

This producer belongs to the class known as suction or downdraft producers in which the supply of for supporting combustion is received at the top of the producer chamber and conducted downwardly through the fuel. The suctionthat will induce the air to enter the producer is obtained either by a gas engine run with the gas from the producer, an exhaust fan or any other suitable means. As the location of the suction means is immaterial, they are not shown on the drawing.

The special aim of the producer is to gasify bituminous coal, known to contain high percentage of volatile matter, such as heavy hydrocarbons, which, owing to their easy decomposition at high temperatures into lighter hydrocarbons with deposit of free carbon, cannot well be used in their original state for power purposes. It is necessary to first transform them into fixed gases such as carbon monoXid and hydrogen, practically free from tar, by running them through a bed of incandescent coke in presence of the oxidizing elements air and steam, before they leave the producer.

The treatment of bituminous coal in a down-draft gas producer can best be obtained by providing in the upper region of the latter a distillation chamber into which the raw coal is charged, there to be submitted to an energetic distillation, whereby the heavy unstable hydrocarbons are driven out, enter lower down a field of incandescent coke, derived from the distilled coal descending from the distillation chamber, and come further into intimate contact with hot air and steam, whereby the desired trans Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed. April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23.218.

ways going in the same downward direction, the forming ashes and clinkers have a tendency to pack sometimes to such an extent as to render the passage of gas impossible.

One of the purposes of the herewithin proposed producer is to obviate the above two defects.

In the drawings, Figure I. is a vertical cross-section on line II of Fig. III; Fig. II. is a vertical cross-section left incomplete on top, on line IIII of Fig. IV., Fig. III. is a top plan view, showing the mechanical operating means only in diagram, and a central part out on line IIIIII of Fig. I., Fig. IV. is a horizontal cross-section on line IV IV of Fig. II., Fig. V. is a vertical cross-section of the twyer; Fig. VI. a horizontal cross-section on line VIVI of Fig. V; Fig. VII. a horizontal cross-section on line VII.-VII. of Fig. V.; Fig. VIII. a horizontal cross-section on line VIII-VIII of Fig. V. and Fig. IX. a top plan View of the lifting cross-piece of the drum.

In the drawings 1 represents a metallic shell inclosing the upper part of the producer, 2 a metallic shell inclosing the lower part or ash pit, 3 a combustion or gas producing chamber inclosed in fire brick lining 4, 5 a metallic hopper separating the distil' lation chamber 6 from the surrounding hot air chamber 7. A. top plate 8 covers the producer, the distillation chamber 6 and hot air chamber/7. On top plate 8 are placed coal hoppers 9 to charge coal into chamber 6. A centrally located twyer 10, normally closed on top by cover 11, extends downwardly into the producer and is keyed or otherwise fastened on its top part to a spur gear 12, which in its turn is bolted to a circular disk 13 provided with an annular downwardly extending flange 14:, reaching into a lower trough 15, making part of a circular box 16, placed on top of plate 8 and loosely surrounding twyer 10. The lower face of the outer rim of disk 13 and the upper face of the top flange of box 16 have corresponding grooves. between which are placed friction balls 17. Air inlet 18 and continuing air duct 19 establish communica-= tion between box 16 and air chamber 7.

. Trough 15 can receive liquidor sand or other similar material to maintain an airtight loose joint, when disk 18 revolves.

In flanged opening 21 in bottom of box 16 andflanged opening 22 in plate 8 is placed tion chamber.

gradually narrowed down to c, d.

one open end of a curved pipe 23, reaching With its other open end inside of twyer 10, for purposes hereinafter explained.

'lwyer 10 is of cylindrical design and provided in its outer walls with slots 24,-

placed around the circumference at a level corresponding to the inside of box 16. As these slots tend to separate the top part of the twyer from its lower end or at least to weaken this connection, one or more partitions reaching higher up and lower down than the slots, strengthen the connection between the upper and lower parts of the twyer. At the same time they divide the slot region into compartments of which one compartment is made large enough to permit the curved pipe 23 to enter the twyer fromthe outside with enough clearance to allow of a certain amount of rotating move- .ment to the twyer, without the pipe interfering. Spur gear 12 is acted upon by another gear 26 mounted on a vertical shaft 27, carrying lower down a pinion 28, acted upon by a rack 29. This rack itself receives itsmotion, through a connecting rod 30, a

crank 31, mounted on a worm gear 32 acted upon by a worm 33 mounted on a shaft having another worm gear 3%, that itself receives its motion through a worm 35 directly mounted on the shaft of a motor 36. The mechanical power arrangement thus described has for purpose to impart a slow alternating rotating movement to the twyer, over only part of the circumference. As

the manner by which this particular rotating' movement ofthe twyer is obtained, is immaterial, I have purposely limited myself in Fig. III. to mainly a diagrannnatical illustration of an arrangement of that kind to show that easy means can be devised to produce the particular motion of the twyer. Other means could naturally be chosen.

The twyer itself in its lower part may have a smooth outside cylindrical surface, but I prefer giving it purposely projections on the surface so designed that when the twyer rotates in either direction, these projections will help to impart a downward push to the coal contained in the distilla- Thus Fig. VI. shows in its cross-section twooppositely located cylindrical projecting surfaces a, b on the outside circumference; Fig. VII. a cross-section taken lower down shows these projections It is evident that in whatever direction the rotation of the twyer takes place, either the two faces a, 0 help to push the coal down while the two faces d, Z) make room for other coal to come down or vice versa. The lower end of the twyer is preferably made of a separate Water-cooled nozzle 37 receiving water through a pipe 38 and evacuating it through' apipe 39. Nozzle 87 is fastened to twyer 1 0 by any convenient means, such as bolts 40. The alternate rotations of the twyer are meant to prevent the coal from sticking to the nozzle of the twyer.

The combustion or gas producing chamber stands on the ash pit -l-1 of the producer. This ashpit is inclosed in brickwork 42 inside shell A gas collector 1L3 provided all around with suitable openings H in its underside and leading to a gas pipe 1L3, is placed under combustion chamber wall above the ash pit and fastened to shells 1 and 2. An operating tunnel to inclosed in walls l5 and open at both ends, stretches diametrically across the ashpit, which it dirides into two halves connected above the tunnel. In the top part of the ashpit and below the combustion chamber is located an annular grate at built of any suitable material. On this grate rests the solid producer content. Between its outer rim and the producer wall above is left an open annular space, as a convenient and the most effective means to make fall into the ashpit below, ashes and clinker-s pushed o'aer the grate from the center of the combustion chamber toward its circumference. This grate is supported in any convenient manner. I use hollow C. I. supports 47 open to the outside and fastened to shell 2 and supports l8 fastened to walls 4-5.

The bottom of the ashpit has slopes -l5) and 50, leading autonmtically all ashes toward evacuationopenin s 51 and which discharge the ashes automatically when open. Opening 51 that may have a damper is continued by a curved pipe extending with its lower open end deep enough into the water contained in tank 5ito make normally a waterseal. \Vhen damper 52 is raised this opening discharges the ashes automatically and continuously. \Vhenever it is found necessary to empty tank 54-, damper 52 is closed momentaril and the w rk in the producer need not be stopped. Vith the use of openings 5:"). closed normally by door 56, a short stoppage of the producer might be necessary, when opening door 56 for ash removing purposes.

Above the roof of the tunnel and extending from ash pit to lower part of combustion chamber, I place a metallic drum 57 forming so to say the hollow head of a downwardly directed stem or hollow cylinder or standpipe 58 that traverses a suitably finished opening in the roof of the tunnel and is mainly located in the latter. This stem can slide over a hollow shaft 59, open on top and securely fastened below to a base 60. Cylinder 538 receives below a stuffing box 61. A smaller pipe 62, open on top and secured to base 60, extends upwardly inside pipe 59. The base 60 is so arranged that water can be admitted to standpipe 59 through pipe 63, to be discharged into drum,

which it will leave through pipe 64 to be led to any suitable place, preferably to the steam boiler, that furnishes the steam to be used with the hot air.

Drum 57, closed on top by a cover 65, has a lower cylindrical portion 66, surmounted by a crown 67 of an irregular elongated shape, not longer than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 66, but narrower in the other direction. The top of portion 66 reaches to or above the level of the highest point of the surrounding grate. Enough clearance is left between the drum and the surrounding grate, to allow the drum to revolve freely. A conical surface connects top of cylinder 66 to crown 67.

It can be seen that when revolving the drum, especially in the direction of the arrow, the peculiarly shaped crown will displace the ashes easily and push them toward the outside rim of the grate.

Cylinder 58 has a middle portion 58, somewhat reduced in diameter and provided with a key 68. On this portion is loosely mounted a worm gear 69, having an upper extension with a circular groove 70, into which groove engage loosely angle irons 71 fastened to lugs 7 2 on tunnel walls The lower end 73 of stem 58 is again reduced in diameter so as to afford an offset that engages into the collar of lifting bar 74 suitably connected through its two ends with the tops of plungers 75, working in cylinders 76. These two cylinders are operated either by steam, compressed air or water under pressure admitted and evacuated through pipe 77. Gear 69 engages into a worm 78 mounted on shaft 79 running in journal boxes 80 suitably supported on brackets 81 on tunnel walls 45 or otherwise. Shaft 79 has a bevel gear 82 at one end, engaging with another bevel 83 at the end of vertical shaft 84:, which transmits the power imparted to gear 32 already mentioned. The power giving arrangement thus described may vary, as it is only employed as a means to obtain the desired results. The operating tunnel which may have any other shape and may be closed at one end, was adopted to lay within its confines the moving organs necessary to be placed on or near the drum stem, and thus not only remove them from the direct influence of the heat in the ashpit, but also to make their access easy at all times from the outside.

lVith the mechanical features above-described, the operation in the producer is carried out as follows :VVhere the producer is lighted in the manner generally used in downdraft gas producers, which I do not reproduce here in order to avoid a too lengthy description, motor 36 is put in operation, whereby all automatic mechanical operations are started. Coal is regularly introduced through hoppers 9 into distillation chamber 6. The mixture of hot air and steam arrives and enters through opening 20 and will have to fill up the whole air chamber 7 before it enters through air duct 19 and opening 18 into box 16 whence it enters twyer 10 through slots 24 to be discharged lower. through nozzle 37 into the combustion chamber 3 of the producer. The distillation chamber 6 being thus surrounded on all sides by hot air and steam, submits the raw coal to an energetic distillation; the volatile products of the coal descend mainly directly from the distillation chamber to the combustion chamber below, while some of them will enter the curved pipe 23, to be discharged into nozzle 37.

The alternate partial rotation of the twyer makes it possible to prevent the descending coal or coke to stick to the bottom of the nozzle. The gases traversing the column of incandescent coke and ashes in the combustion or gas producing chamber will leave the latter all around the circumference above the grate to enter the gas col lector a3 and finally pipe 13. During the operation, gases, coke and ashes travel con-- tinuously all in the same downward direction, which naturally makes the ashes pack more or less in the lower part of the combustion chamber. The drum'placed in the center of the grate has for purpose to overcome this packing and to automatically evacuate the ashes. When admitting the motive power through pipe 77 into cylinders 76, plungers raise drum 57 into dotted position 57 which movement will shake and lift up the material in the central part of the combustion chamber. l/Vhen lowering it, the material will follow; the operation can be repeated until the central part of the col umn above is thoroughly shaken up and loosened. The revolving motion, pushing the ashes from the center toward the outer rim of the grate, can go on undisturbed because cylinder 58 will slide through gear 69 without being interfered with by the rotating movement. The rotating drum has the advantage of always pushing the ashes from the center toward the outer rim of grate 46. Here the ashes will fall down and slide at once automatically to the discharge openings on. either side. Drum 57 could also be used with a water-sealed gas producer. The drum may not be watercooled in which case the water cooling appliances can be omitted. I have shown no cleaning or poking doors in any part of the producer. Whether some are used or not, will in no way affect this invention.

The above description shows that the centrally located movable drum fills two main purposes. Its revolving motions will have for effect to push the ashes and clinkers automatically from the center to the outside rim of the stationary surrounding grate, there to tumbleautomatically and continuously into the ashpit below through the clear space left purposely between this outside rim and theproducer'wall above. To produce this effect it is necessary to give the crown above the level of the grate any shape that in its revolution will push the ashes as stated. Through this action, which I consider as novel, the drum fills the role of a centrally located ash removing apparatus. Through its lifting motion, which I also consider as novel, it shakes and loosens the column of materials in the combustion or gas producing chamber above, breaks up the-clinkers, and fills, therefore, the role of a centrally located poker. These two functions, entirely independent of each other, can befilled by appliances different in design from the one illustrated.

The water being primarily introduced into the drum for cooling purposes will naturally heat up to a certain extent before its evacuation. It is, therefore, of advantage to utilize the drum as a preheater of'the water required to create the steam that it is intended to mix with the hot air, introduced into the combustion or gas producing chamber. To obtain this resultthe water evacuation pipe 64 willform the feed pipe of the boiler,.in which the above steam is produced. These poking and ash removing appliances can be placed inother styles, such as, for instance, water-sealed gas producers.

hat I claim is v 1. In a gas producer, the combination with a gas producing chamber of an operating tunnel, a mechanically operated centrally located ashpushing and upwardly movable poking apparatus inside of said chamber and above said tunnel, said apparatus having its immediate rotating means and independent lifting means located in said tunnel, substantially as described.

2. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of an operating tunnel, a mechanically operated ashpushing and upwardly'movable poking apparatus used as a water-preheater centrally located inside of said producer and having its immediate operating organs located inside said tunnel, substantially as described.

3. In a gas producer thecombination with a gas producing chamber of, an ashpushing and an upwardly movable poking apparatus centrally located in the lower part of said producer for work to be performed in said chamber, and below it mechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to lift said apparatus, said means working independently and without interfering with each other, substantially as described.

4. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of an upwardly movable poking apparatus centrally located in, and for the direct poking of, the lower part of the ashbed in said chamber, and below it mechanical means to raise it inde pendently of any revolving motion.

5. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber and an ashpit of, an operating tunnel separated by a partition from said pit, a. revoluble and upwardly movable ashpushing and poking apparatus located centrally in the lower part of said producer above said tunnel for work to be performed in said chamber, said apparatus having a stem extending downwardly into said tunnel, and in said tunnel mechanical means to revolve said stem, and mechanical means to lift it independently of its revolving motion, substantially as described.

6. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber and an. ashpit of, an operating tunnel separated from said pit by a partition, an upwardly movable poking apparatus provided with a hollow stem surrounding a standpipe, said stem extending downwardly into said tunnel, in said tunnel mechanical means to lift said stem, substantially as described.

7. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber, an ashpit and an independent annular grate with an annular opening between its outer rim and the surrounding wall of said producer for the purpose of evacuating ash from said grate into said pit, of an ashpushing and poking apparatus centrally located in the lower part of said producer for work to be performed above said grate, mechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to lift said apparatus, substantially as described.

8. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber, an ashpit having an ash discharge opening and a floor sloping toward said opening and an annular grate between said chamber and pit with an annular opening between its outside rim and the surrounding wall of said producer, of a centrally located ashpushing and poking apparatus inside of said producer for work to be performed above said grate, said apparatus being loosely surrounded by said grate, means to revolve and means to lift said apparatus, substantially as described.

9. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber, an ashpit having an ash discharge opening and a floor sloping toward said opening, between said chamber and said pit an annular grate leaving a free opening between its outer rim and the surrounding walls of said chamber, of a centrally located ashpushing apparatus in the lower part of said producer for the pushing of the ashes over said grate from its central part toward its outer rim, said apparatus being loosely surrounded by said grate, below said apparatus mechanical means to revolve it, substantially as described.

10. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber, an ashpit, and a grate between said chamber and said pit of, an operating tunnel dividing said pit into halves and separated from it by a partition, each of said halves having an ash discharge opening and a floor sloping toward said opening, said grate leaving an annular opening between its outer rim and the surrounding wall of said producer, a centrally located ashpushing and upwardly movable poking apparatus loosely surrounded by said grate, in said tunnel mechanical means to revolve said apparatus, and mechanical means to lift it independently of its revolving motion, substantially as described.

11. In a gas producer the combination with a gas-producing chamber of anashpit, an operating tunnel dividing said ashpit into two parts, a centrally located ash-pushing and mechanically operated poking apparatus, extending from said ashpit to said combustion chamber with their immediate operating organs located in said tunnel, over said ashpit an independent stationary grate loosely surrounding said ash-pushing apparatus and leaving an open space between said grate and the Walls of said gas producing chamber, an ash discharge opening in each of said parts of said ash-pit, each of said parts having a floor sloping toward its ash discharge opening, and mechanical means to operate said ashpushing and poking appliances, substantially as described.

12. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of an ashpit, an operating tunnel dividing said ashpit into two parts, a centrally located ashpushing and poking apparatus extending from said ashpit into said gas producing chamber with its immediate operating organs located in said tunnel, over said ashpit an independent grate loosely surrounding said apparatus and leaving an open space between said grate and the walls of said gas producing chamber, an ash discharge opening in either part of said ashpit, each part of said ashpit having a floor sloping toward the ash discharge opening of said part, substantially as described.

18. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of an operating tunnel, an upwardly movable, water preheating poking apparatus, centrally located in the lower part of said producer, and in said tunnel mechanical means to operate said poker, substantially as described.

141-. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of, an operating tunnel, an ashpushing water preheating apparatus located in the lower part of said producer above said tunnel, and in said tunnel mechanical means to revolve said apparatus, substantially as described.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 27th day of February A. D. 1912.

JOHN B. NAU.

Witnesses:

CARL O. BLnTsorIL, HERTI-IA WOELFLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

